Crash kills basketball star Griffin

Eddie Griffin left Philadelphia for what everyone thought would be fame and fortune, not to mention a long and prosperous NBA career. But it was not to be.

In the seven years after his graduation from Roman Catholic High School in 2000, Griffin encountered nothing but trouble. His life was one of substance abuse, depression, run-ins with the law, and a quiet stint in the NBA. He barely made an impact for any of the three teams that had signed him.

It all came to a sudden and tragic end in the early hours of Friday when Griffin ignored a railroad barrier, drove his Nissan SUV past warning lights, and struck a moving freight train in southeast Houston. The impact ignited a fiery blaze that burned his body beyond recognition.

The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas needed dental records before finally identifying the body yesterday as that of Griffin, 25.

"What a tragic loss," said St. Joseph's Prep coach Speedy Morris, who tried to recruit Griffin out of Roman for La Salle during his coaching days with the Explorers and is a longtime observer of city high school basketball.

"He was one of the best to ever play in Philadelphia. I'd have to put him up there with the great players in high school basketball history. But he got into so many things. Something had to be wrong for him to do what he did. I feel sorry for his family."

Houston police said the accident involved a Union Pacific train that was hauling plastic when it was struck. An investigation was continuing.

The death of Griffin ended a life that never came close to fulfilling what appeared to be limitless potential. Griffin's last NBA job was with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who released him on March 13 to end a season in which he played just 13 games, none after Dec. 13.

Griffin's NBA career lasted 303 games over five seasons. He averaged 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.71 blocked shots. One of his best friends with the Timberwolves was all-star forward Kevin Garnett, who admired his ability and called him a friend.

"Eddie's always had the potential to be something special," Garnett said early last season. "Eddie was the only person that ever stopped Eddie."

Alcohol played a major role. Griffin spent time in the Betty Ford Center for alcohol abuse and at Baylor University for clinical depression.

"Eddie was a wonderful, gentle soul, but he was an alcoholic," Rusty Hardin, Griffin's attorney, told the Houston Chronicle. "Alcohol always got in the way. The one thing the Rockets didn't know and none of us knew was the extent of the problem. It's really tragic."

After an outstanding high school career and one season at Seton Hall, Griffin entered the pros as a 6-foot-10 forward with quickness, shooting range, rebounding skills, and great timing for blocking shots.

However, he also had a mean side. He was expelled before the end of his senior year at Roman for fighting with a teammate. At Seton Hall, he punched teammate Ty Shine in the locker room after a midseason defeat.

Despite the stormy ending of his high school life, Griffin stayed in touch with his former teammates, according to Roman athletic director Dave Falcione.

"It's a complete shock," Falcione said. "Some of the things that happened in his life, I guess, could have been expected. But we never expected anything like this."

A little more than a month after Griffin's 19th birthday, the Houston Rockets traded their three first-round picks to New Jersey on the night of the 2001 NBA draft for the rights to Griffin, who had been chosen by the Nets with the seventh overall pick.

Griffin had just a so-so first two seasons with the Rockets, but his career really started to spiral downward in 2003 training camp. He missed a team flight, skipped practices, and was convicted of deadly conduct for punching a woman and firing a gun at her.

Griffin was released by the Rockets and later signed with New Jersey, but he did not play in a game for the Nets before being let go. He sat out the entire 2003-04 season.

Griffin hooked up with the Timberwolves in 2004 and played well enough to earn a three-year, $8.1 million contract. But the Wolves released him in only the second year and bought him out of the remainder of the deal.

During his time in Minnesota, Griffin crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a parked car in the early-morning hours of March 30, 2006. Cameras recorded Griffin as saying he was drunk, and he offered the owner of the damaged car a replacement vehicle for not involving police.

Griffin received a ticket for inattentive driving.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

See more photos of Eddie Griffin, who played high school ball in Philadelphia,

at http://go.philly.com/griffinEndText